Why pray for the dead?

Today’s Feast of All Souls gives us answers to questions we have inside of us. Why pray for the dead? Why offer Mass intentions for them? Why visit graveyards? These make sense only if we believe the foundational truth of Christianity: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too, might live in newness of life.” As Jesus is raised into newness of life, there is hope for us to enter into fullness of life.

John’s Gospel echoes that truth: “It is the will of my Father that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have eternal life.” Primarily, that raising up is God’s action in our lives. It is the raising up of our hopes and dreams and sadness and tears. It is that end time summation of all we are and hope to be. The will of the Father is to have us with Him. But there is a second raising up that we celebrate today. It is the raising up of our prayers for the deceased.

Because we love them, because they have been so much a part of our lives, we raise them up in prayer to God, hopeful that just as our love made a difference in their living, just as our care raised them up to “all that they could be” on this earth, so our love will raise them up to union with God. It becomes not just Jesus’ desire that he should lose nothing of what God gave him, but our desire that God should lose nothing of what we surrender back to him. So we visit cemeteries, we offer Masses, we pray the rosary. We “raise up to God” the gift of our family members, friends, and neighbors.

So today and during this month that is dedicated to remembering and praying for the dead, spend some time in prayer lifting up those who have gone before you. Spend time being lifted up by their lives and love. Let their continuing care for you lift you up to all that you can be.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Anything worth having is worth making sacrifices for. And the more that thing is worth, the greater the sacrifices we are willing to make for it. Buying one’s dream luxury car entails waiting, working very hard, saving, and scrimping on other expenses just to be able to buy one’s ideal ride. If people are willing to make such great sacrifices to gain things that they cannot keep after death, shouldn’t they be more willing to make even greater sacrifices for something eternal? But many people do not even think of eternal happiness because they are already enjoying their worldly happiness too much – their vast wealth and the perks that go with it. They are not interested or motivated to go to heaven.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Most of us have to admit that we are not doing much to live according to the Beatitudes. We really don’t think much about the excellence of the gift – eternal happiness – that Jesus offers us.

Let us pray today for the grace to desire eternal life more ardently and be willing to do anything, whatever it takes, to get there.

The Christian.

The Christian is a person who has received a personal call from God to be his adopted son or daughter. The Christian experiences failures and has weaknesses, but the Christian leans on God. The Christian walks on a path of salvation with Jesus as guide and Mother Church as support. The Christian puts career, riches, and ambition in their place, and God is always put at the center.

Every day God invites the Christian to enter by the narrow door, to take the path less taken, the path of discipleship. The Christian remains faithful to God in times of trial and temptation, and with God’s help, comes out triumphant through all these. The Christian enters into daily battle with the devil, meaning the evil that pervades in society and in other people, and vanquishes evil using the weapons of light – goodness, kindness, compassion, fortitude, soberness, chastity, right living, and courage.

Even before life comes to an end, the Christian is already enjoying eternal life.

How can I be ready?

Be ready! How can I be ready? I am a person that is never ready. I am late for school, late for work, and the best I have done in the area of promptness is to just be on time, never too early. I am not good at planning ahead. I am laid-back, happy-go-lucky, a sleepy head, a “que-sera-sera type.” How can I be ready?

Will I be ready for Jesus Christ? If I take Jesus Christ to be my bridegroom, waiting for his return, then, my desire to be ready increases. His coming will be a joyous occasion — one that I do not have to drag my feet to prepare for. It will be so special to find a person truly loving me for what I am. Keeping this in mind, I think it can be easier to be ready. I desire to be a faithful servant waiting for the master to return.

What about you? Are you ready? How can you be ready? How can you be more excited for Jesus?

As the Year of Faith ends.

Seemingly endless series of aftershocks still comes even days after the sudden earthquake. These give me occasions to think more deeply on this disaster. I know God has his mysterious ways that are always full of wisdom, goodness and mercy. Most of them are beyond our perception and understanding. But how can I transmit this message?

Many of the good things that come our way are usually taken for granted. We seldom take the bother to thank him for the air we breathe, the food that we eat, the water that we drink, the many dangers that were kept from us, many of them unknown to us, etc.

It's when disasters, like the recent earthquake, happen when we sometimes ask God why do they have to happen? Can't you, God, not have prevented them?

Though we still like to stick to our faith, we seem unable to resist from questioning, if not from complaining. I suppose that's part of our human condition. God understands all this umavoidable predicament of ours.

But we should learn the lessons of Job whenever disasters erupt. Heavily tested, suffering all kinds of misfortune, he persisted in his faith and love for God. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

As the Year of Faith ends, let's always react with faith in all events of our life, whether good or bad.

Bakit ka nagdarasal ng rosaryo?

Kung ako ang tatanungin mo, ito marahil ang aking isasagot. 

1. Ang rosaryo ay isang debosyon sa buhay-katoliko. Ipinapaalala sa akin ng rosaryo ang kasaysayan ng aking pananampalataya. Gaya ito ng nangyaring conversion sa buhay ni San Pablo. Sa totoo lang, hindi masyadong relihiyoso ang pamilya ko. Hindi deboto ang aking mga magulang. Habang lumalaki kaming magkakapatid, dumadalang ang pagsama nila sa pagsisimba. Hinahayaan na lang nila kaming magsimba ng kanya-kanya. Ang mga kapatid ko ay dating miyembro ng Legion of Mary sa kapilya, dating miyembro ng Children’s choir at Marian/Mayflower Committee. Pero hindi kami pinalaking nagpupunta sa mga mahahabang nobena. Kung may isang maaalala ako tungkol sa pag-ibig ng aking pamilya sa Diyos, iyon ay ang tuwinang pagdarasal ng rosaryo ng aking yumaong tita. Tuwing dapithapon, bago maghapunan, sumasama kami sa pagdarasal. Nagpapatuloy ito hanggang ngayon. 

2. Ang rosaryo ay hango sa Banal na Kasulatan. Ang rosaryo ay isang mahalagang gamit namin noong nasa elementarya at hayskul ako. Naaalala ko yung mga living rosaries na isinasagawa noon tuwing Oktubre. Malaking bahagi ng binibigkas sa rosaryo ay mekanikal: paulit-ulit na Aba Ginoong Maria at Ama Namin, at ang pagkakabisado sa tatlong Misteryo (wala pang Liwanag; tanging Tuwa, Hapis at Luwalhati pa lamang ang misteryo noon). Kung meron mang bagay na natutunan ako sa mga pag-uulit-ulit na ito, iyon ay ang makabisado ko ilang bahagi ng Bibliya. Ang Aba Ginoong Maria ay hinango sa Lukas 1:28 mula sa pagbati ng Anghel Gabriel at sa Lukas 1:42 mula sa salita ni Elisabet, ang pinsan ni Maria. Ang Ama Namin ay galling naman sa Lukas 11 at Mateo 6. Gayundin, ang panalanging Luwalhati ay dasal sa Santisima Trinidad. At higit sa lahat, nakabisado ko ang buhay ni Kristo. Kapag nakabisado mo ang mga misteryo ng Santo Rosario, makakabisado mo ang buhay ni Kristo. Hindi ito nalalayo sa kasaysayan. Noong panahon ng Middle Ages, ang edukasyon ay tanging pribilehiyo ng mga monghe. Malaking bahagi ng populasyon ay walang natatamasang edukasyon. Upang maintindihan nila ang mensahe ng salita ng Diyos, itinuro sa kanila ng mga monghe ang Aba Ginoong Maria, Orasyon (Angelus) at Pater Noster (Ama Namin). Ang rosaryo ay ginamit noon sa edukasyong pangkateketikal.

3. Ang rosaryo ay isang meditasyon sa buhay ni Hesus. Tinuruan ako ng rosaryo na pahalagahan ang buhay ni Hesus. Mas madalas kong dinarasal ang rosaryo  tuwing nagbibiyahe. Inaamin ko, magandang paraan iyon upang hindi mainip sa kawalan ng Gawain sa pagbibiyahe. Madalas, nakakatulog ako. Pero ang gusto ko sa pagdarasal ng rosaryo ay ang maraming paraan kung paano ito dasalin. Pwede mong dasalin ang buong misteryo, o maaari mong dasalin lamang ang unang misteryo at magkaroon ng meditasyon sa particular na aspeto ng buhay ni Kristo, o dasalin lang ito upang sa pagtulog ay Diyos ang iyong huling gunita. Mabuting matulog sa yakap ng Diyos. 

Kung ihahambing ko ang buhay ko ngayon kay Kristo, kailangan ko ang paulit-ulit na meditasyon sa buhay Niya. Isang bagay na dapat klaro sa ating lahat: hindi natin sinasamba si Maria---tanging ang Diyos na Santatlo ang ating sinasamba. Ngunit binibigyan natin ng pinakamataas na pagpapahalaga si Maria.  Sa maraming imahen ni Maria, bawat galaw o hilig ng katawan (gesture) ay may kahulugan. Halimbawa ang sa Ina ng mga Walang Mag-ampon. Isa sa gestures niya ang pagtingin sa batang Hesus. Ipinapakita niyang sa paglalim ng ating debosyon kay Maria, naihahatid niya tayo sa kanyang anak na si Hesus. Hindi aksidente lang na tinatawag din natin ang rosaryo bilang debosyon. Ang pagdedebosyon ay nagpapalalim sa ating pagmamahal, pagtitiwala at pananabik sa isang tao, gawain o bagay. Sa ganang akin, ang pagdedebosyon kay Maria ang magpapalakas ng ating pagmamahal sa kanyang Anak na ating Diyos.

4. Nag-uulit tayo upang maalala; umaalala tayo upang mag-ulit. Kapag tinanong kumbakit paulit-ulit ang rosaryo, hango kasi ito sa totoong buhay. May namamayaning kultura ngayon na gustong-gusto ng pagbabago. Ang kahit na anong nag-uulit ay boring. Ngunit mag-isip muli. Maraming bagong bagay ang nagmula sa pag-uulit. Ang isang siyentipikong imbensyon ay bunga ng paulit-ulit at madalas ay palpak na eksperimento. May mga bago at dagdag na ideya dahil sa paulit-ulit na pag-aaral ng mga batis. Nahahasa ang ating talento at kakayahan dahil sa paulit-ulit na ehersisyo at disiplina sa sarili. Lumalalim ang pag-ibig dahil sa paulit-ulit na pagbigkas sa salitang "I love you," at maraming paraan upang ipakita ito: araw-araw na paghahanda ng nanay sa hapag-kainan, araw-araw na pagpapadala ng text messages, regular na dates at selebrasyon. Lahat ito'y paulit-ulit. walang magaganap na pagbabago hangga't hindi paulit-ulit itong gagawin. Kung nais mong mahalin si Hesus, paulit-ulit mong ulit-ulitin ang Kanyang buhay. Hindi ka lang nagkakaroon ng habit, ikaw mismo ang magiging habit. Dasalin mo ang buhay ni Hesus, at magiging tulad mo siya. 

Iyan ang rosaryo para sa akin. Ito ang mga dahilan kumbakit dinarasal ko pa rin ito hanggang-ngayon.


Post Scriptum
At ngayong buwan ng Oktubre, mapalad akong maging kabahagi ng huling proyekto ng Parish Youth Ministry, ang Living Rosary. Nawa'y maging matagumpay ang pagdaraos namin nito bukas sa Patio ng OLA Parish Church dito sa Marikina. 

On the Occasion of the Month of the Holy Rosary and the Year of Faith. 

The Our Lady of the Abandoned Marikina Parish Youth Ministry invites all of you to be with us in the recitation of the Joyful Mystery.

October 19,2013

7:00PM; OLA Patio

The human heart.

The human heart can be likened to a house. Indeed, the heart is not only a place where we keep the things we treasure; it can also be a home where we welcome and abide with those we cherish.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us to be wary about whom we allow to enter our house. There are those who come in but only to conquer and consume. They stay and wreak havoc, armed with our own consent. When they depart, they leave us empty and helpless. Yet, there are also those who come and fill our house with their light. When they depart, they leave us feeling a little brighter and fuller. Jesus is the perfect guest who comes into our hearts to free us from darkness. If we ask him to stay, he will fill our hearts with lasting peace, joy, and love.

Lord Jesus, abide in us!